Computer storage drives (e.g., disk drives, tape drives, CD-ROMs, or DVDs) may be configured for internal or external use. Drives configured for internal use are referred to as internal drives, and drives configured for external use are referred to as external drives. Internal drives are typically mounted inside of a computer housing, or inside of a separate housing for multiple drives (such as a cd-rom jukebox for network data storage and retrieval). Internal drives usually serve as a component of a much larger system, and are not readily portable. On the other hand, external drives are typically mounted individually, inside of an external drive housing, and are readily portable. External drives are also advantageous in that they may be easily connected to any computer, and their use is not dedicated to a single computer.
Computer storage drives are generally provided with internal-type connectors. Internal-type connectors are suitable for use inside of a computer or other protective housing, and are not intended for frequent handling, connection, or movement. Internal-type connectors often lack sophisticated (or any) alignment means, and can therefore be incorrectly mated with a corresponding connector of the opposite sex.
Computer storage drives may be configured as internal drives with relative ease. Typically, a drive need only be mounted within a protective housing (e.g., a computer housing and/or a modular drive bay within the computer housing). Once mounted within a protective housing, internal-type cables may be connected to the drive's power and data connectors. Internal-type cables may comprise cables such as ribbon cables. These cables are not meant for frequent handling and flexing, and are not as rugged as external-type cables.
A computer storage drive may be configured as an external drive by placing it in an external housing, and connecting it to connectors, cables, and a printed circuit board which convert its internal-type connectors to external-type connectors. More rugged and standardized external-type cables may then be used to connect the external drive to a computer.
External drives are generally connected to a computer with a minimum number of cables to simplify use, whereas internal drives are generally provided with a greater number of cables organized by function. For example, external drives are often be connected to a computer using a single data cable with standard external connectors such as DB25 connectors (which are commonly used on printer cables). External connectors may be rugged and easy to align to facilitate connections by inexperienced and/or careless users, and may include screws or other means for keeping the connectors from inadvertently pulling apart. Power is usually supplied to an external drive through a separate cable having lower gauge (thicker) wires that are capable of carrying more electrical current than is required for the data signals carried by the data cable. Power and data cables are usually not combined in one cable unless the power requirements for a drive are very low, in order to avoid electrical interference between the power and data signals, and to save cost by using the thinnest wires necessary for the application.
Computer storage drives commonly have multiple connectors, and a cable is mated with each of the connectors, including one cable each for power, data, analog audio, digital audio, and miscellaneous controls. These connectors are internal-type connectors which are often simpler and cheaper than external-type connectors. They may be more difficult to align than external-type connectors, usually being rectangular and symmetrical. Some internal-type connectors have a notch on one side which slides over a ridge in a corresponding connector to ensure proper orientation, while others rely on visual indicators such as color-coded cables which do not physically prevent improper connections. In contrast, external-type connectors often have distinctive shapes to quickly identify the proper orientation and physically prevent any improper connections. Most internal-type connectors do not include a means to prevent the connectors from being inadvertently pulled apart, although some include self-locking plastic clips molded into the connector which must be compressed to disconnect.
The cables used internally and externally also differ. External-type cables may comprise a round bundle of individual wires, each with their own insulation, held together by an external insulation. Internal-type cables, commonly connected to computer storage drives, may comprise several individual wires, each with its own insulation and unconnected to other wires, or ribbon cables, in which the individual insulated wires lay side by side in a flat ribbon, with the ribbon growing wider as the number of wires is increased. Internal-type cables may be less expensive than external-type cables, but are generally not as compact, easy to use, or as visually appealing as external-type connectors.
To connect a computer storage drive inside a computer, several cables must be connected. The flat ribbon cables used for data must be routed through the often constricted, twisting spaces inside the computer, and their rectangular connectors must be properly oriented. This task is often complicated by cables which are provided with little spare length. The power and other cables mentioned above must also be connected, contributing to a confusing jumble of cables which require excessive labor to connect.
Consequently, a need exists for a system and method for connecting a computer storage drive to either a printed circuit board or plurality of cables, wherein the computer storage drive may be connected to the printed circuit board or plurality of cables in a single operation, without a need to connect numerous individual cables to the drive.